Timer for internal-combustion engines



APPLICATION FILED SEP 10, I917.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. MEYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNCR; BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ECLIPSE SIECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLIl' NOIS.

TIMER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

Application filed September 1 1917. Serial No. 190,477.

To all whom it may concern: Y

lie it known that 1, JOHN F. MEYER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chience to the protection of the conducting wires, their arrangement to obviate contusion, oiling facilities, avoiding short-circuiting, double sparking, baok-firing causing breakages of crank-shafts, injuriestooperm tors, etc. and to prearrange the wires in their proper firing order to protect the operators against the mistakes often made in selecting such wires in the usual manner.

With the above-named objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and morc particularly pointed. out in the appended claims.

1 In'the drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation of engine parts with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my invention with sections of the device separated.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. & is a section taken substantially on line l-4@-of Fig. 3. i

- In the several views 2 represents an engine partor cylinder and 3 IS the engine casing provided with coverings'for a gear wheel 4 on the driving-shaft -5- which meshes with a gear wheel 6, which is keyed to the cam-shaft -7' to which is secured a collar 8 that is provided with a lug 9 to which a curved lever 10 is pivoted and a lug 11 that iscomiected with the power end -12-: ot' the lever by a coiled tension spring 13. An anti-friction contact roller 14. is pivoted-in a. forked 'load"or" resistance end-15 of said lever: By load or resistance end is meant that; parrot the lever where tlo e power is applied. The roller 14 travels a the well in the cap 36.

knownman'ner on the inner periphery of a commutator ring 16 that is provided with a contact plate for each cylinder to be-fired..

In the present instance provision is made for the usual four cylinders represented by contact plates 1'7, 18, 19 and "20 which are secured to the ring in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by means ofrivets 21 which pass through the ring and plates as shown. ()n the ring 16 is the usual connecting-rod lug 22 with a hole 23 therein for a pivot 24 on which is mounted one end of a connecting rod that is operated by a crank 26 on a. shaft 27 that is rotated by a lever QSwork ing on a quadrant 29 and controlling the advancement or retardation of the ignition spark for each engine cylinder. 30 is the usual steering post within a stationary housing. hollow bearing or pipe. 31 which may .also serve as a bearing for the throttle-shaft 32 provided with a' handle or lever 34 working on a quadrant 35.

In the embodiment of my invention the capovcrthc commutator ring is represented by the numeral 36 and is provided with a preferably integral curved arm 37 through which the wires are led protected to the ring 1(S.- In the latter are con-lbination dowel and contact pins which take the place of the usual exposed binding posts, and same are indicated by the numerals 38. 39, 40 and 4:1. These extend from the ring parallel to its axis and are engaged with holes or dowel pin sockets 42. 42-}. 44, and l5 that are formed These dowel pins extend from the contact plates. and serve both as electrical connections and as joints or connections between the cap and the ring. The respective contact plates are connected with wires 46. 47, 48, and 49 which connect the spark 'plugs with the commutator. The timer is held in place for-rotary adjustment by the usual form of bracket arm 50' that is secured by a screw. or bolt as at 51 to a stationary part of the engine and is provided with a lug 52 which engages a depression or indentation 523 in the cap. An oil tube 54 with a capped cup 55 leads from the free end of the arm 37 to the interior of the commutator ring. This permits oiling the moving parts in-the latter without the usual necessity of stopping the machine. In the present embodiment the cap 36 and itsarm 37 are made in two spaced apart sheets or layers of fibrous and non-conducting mateagainst breakage by engine-moved parts,

such as the fan, and are instantaneously re movable as substantially a part of the cap for the commutator ring, or attachable with equal facility and speed by reason of the cap-holding pins serving as electrical connections. These pins are removed from exposure to oil splash and water, or other foreign substances which are a frequent cause of shOrt-circuiting.

y reference to Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the insulating or wire-incasing arm- 37 projects horizontally from the timing gear case 62 to carry the cable or wires to one' side instead of over the hottop oi the engine Where the wire insulations are often melted. In prevailing constructions the commutator ring and its pivotal cap are cast in one piece, and when the ring is worn un- I even, or otherwise damaged, its replacement includes the cap. In the present in'iprovement the cap and its extension-the arm :37 are 'made a substantially permanent element, or one not involved in the renewal of the wear portion, or ring 16. The ring separate, as shown most plainly in Fig. 2, makes it easier and less expensive to machine, or finish the rough casting. With the ends of the usual commutator rings closed by the timing gear case and the cap the timing adjustment, or correctly arranging the firing -points, is a matter of guesswork and repeated trials with the engine in motion. With the cap end or side of the ring open after it has been placed in the timing gear case the position of the contact roller 14- with reference to the segments or contact plates 17 18, 19 and 20, is so plainly exposed that the ring may be instantaneously adjusted to place the roller on a segment or contact plate, by properly lengthening or shortening the usual lever connections with the ring, when the corresponding engine cylinders piston is on dead center.

The usual binding post conncctions bctwcen posts and segments 17 to 20 often become loose from the jarrin s oi' the machine, thereby producing impertcct electrical conductivity. In the present improvement the dowel pins 38 to 41 and the segments are one-piece stampings, and the spring arm 51) insures constant contact between the sockets or bushings that are engaged by the dowel pins. In replacing a worn ring 16 the wiring is notdisturbed. this wiring bcing coufined to the cap and its wire-covering extensions which are substantially integral with the cap. As the wires for the dill'crcnt cylinders are necessarily of ditl'crcnt lengths, owing to the diflerent distances of thc diil'crent cylinders from the timer, the operator can make no mistake as to which wire is to be attached to each spark plug. Such mis take is apt to happen in conm ction with any substitute for a binding post. such as hcadcd wires or-plain wires inserted in sockets clcctricaliy connected with the contact plates or segn'ients.

Ilaving thus described my invention I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters latent- 1. In a timer. the combination with a gear case, of a. commutator ring rcmovably mounted on said case, a cap scparably mounted on said ring andbaving a conduit arm with wires therein, and coupling mcmbcrs upon said ringand cap whiclrhold same together and connect them electrically.

2, In a timer, the combination of a commutator ring, a cap 'l'or said commutator ring. said cap being removable to expose the interior of said ring, a laterally extending arm on said cap adapted to serve as a wireconduit, an oil cup on the end of said arm, and an oil-conducting tube leading *l'rom said cup to the interior of said commutator ring.

In testimony whereof .I have hereunto signed my name.

JOHN F. MEYER. 

